Mall kiosk helping officers catch cell phone thieves
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JACKSON, Tenn.- A kiosk inside Jackson’s Old Hickory Mall is helping officers catch cell phone thieves. EcoATM has been inside the mall since last July. The company said so far they have collected more than 15-hundred cell phones. The machine offers an easy way to recycle old phones in exchange for instant cash. “It shows how technology is really changing,” Lt. Jeff Shepard with the Jackson Police Department said. Police said while the kiosk could lure criminals from all over West Tennessee to get rid of stolen electronics, it is also helping to catch them. The machine takes a photo of every user. It also requires the seller the provide a drivers license and thumb print. All of this is reported to local law enforcement. “We enter this information into our computer it will tell us if it is stolen or not,” Shepard said. According to EcoATM, only two stolen phones have been reported at the Jackson kiosk. Officers said it is vital for victims to know their serial or “IMEI” number, found on the phone’s original box, in order to tell if a recycled phone is stolen. “It’s important to keep that box if you don’t, then document it somewhere,” Shepard urged. EcoATM has more than 900 locations across the country. The company said less than 1 percent of recycled cell phones are reported stolen.
